What do Birmingham City players really think about Tom Brady? Former trophy-winning Blues captain reveals dressing-room opinion of NFL legend amid 'what does he know' questions

Seven-time Super Bowl winner Brady became a minority stakeholder at St Andrew’s in August 2023. The Blues’ ownership group brought him in as an advisor, with the intention being to put his vast experience of winning at the very highest level to good use. A debut campaign in English football did not go as planned for Brady, with relegation into League One being suffered.

Brady is not required to have any input in tactical or selection matters, but is on hand to offer words of advice when required. Quizzed on how Birmingham’s squad will react to having a gridiron legend dipping his toe into a different form of football, ex-Blues captain Stephen Carr – speaking in association with William Hill – told GOAL: “A sportsperson is a sportsperson. They know what it takes to get to the top – whether it is a golfer, a tennis player, whatever, they know the commitment you have to make. Regardless of whether they have played football or not, sportspeople are winners and all the exact same.

“There can be some difficulties, individual sports like golf and tennis are a different mindset and mentality – there is no one to help you out – but he’s [Brady] a winner. The boys there won’t care if he played football or not, you know he’s had success and experienced what it takes to get to the top. I think players will react in a positive way, not think ‘what does he know?’ The best managers in the world, most of them never made it as a top footballer. You can’t say ‘what do you know?’ to them. There are different qualities in sport, but they are winners and know what it takes to reach the top and what you have to give up to get there.”

Pressed further on the exposure that Brady brings to Birmingham and the obvious benefits of that, particularly in the United States, Carr added: “I think it’s fantastic. It is what was needed, especially after the previous owners and what’s gone on there, how the club has declined over the years since the Carling Cup and relegation, the problems they have had financially.

“I think he has brought a freshness to it, given exposure, and they have pumped money in. They talked about it, but they have actually put money in. For League One, the money they have spent is crazy. With that comes pressure because they need to be promoted. It’s not easy getting out of these leagues, it doesn’t matter how much you’ve spent. They seem to have spent well, but it’s a long season in these leagues. The most important thing is that they do go up.”

Brady’s presence in the West Midlands could be considered a clever marketing ploy as, regardless of what he offers in the pursuit of points, he attracts new fans from growing markets. Carr, who skippered Birmingham to League Cup glory in 2011, said of opening up a window to the world: “They do have a big fan base, Birmingham. But it seems to be a lot of Americans coming in doing this, so there must be a reason behind it. It’s great for the club, they benefit and get massive exposure that they wouldn’t otherwise get.

“They had Chinese owners before, Hong Kong, but they didn’t bring exposure. When you have famous people like this, it puts you on a different level on the map. The most important thing is that you do it on the pitch. In League One, there is only so much exposure that you can bring to the club. I suppose that is what they are going with, gradually get them back to the Premier League and that’s when the benefits really come.”

Birmingham invested heavily during the summer of 2024, as they broke all kinds of records in the League One transfer market, with the plan being to bounce straight back up into the Championship. They are very much in the automatic promotion hunt, alongside the likes of Wrexham and Wycombe, with Brady and Co having plenty to cheer as manager Chris Davies endeavours to steer the club back on track.